Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 22:26:24 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 01/12 To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu usual disclaimers. permission to archive to mel moser, thanks mel! comments to author at vampwrtr@innocent.com FOREVER KNIGHT "The Sandpiper" ACT ONE FADE IN: EXT. PRECINCT NIGHT Stock shot establishing precinct and evening, and we, CUT TO: CLOSE on the irritated expression of DETECTIVE JEFFREY PLATT. PLATT This is a glorified babysitting assignment, Captain, and you know it. WIDEN TO REVEAL: INT. PRECINCT NIGHT CAPTAIN JOE REESE, DETECTIVE NICK KNIGHT and Platt are in Reese's office. REESE I don't wanna hear about it, Jeffrey. We've got a seven year old kid who witnessed a hit. He's our only eye witness, and don't fool yourself into thinking that the mob is just going to let it slide. KNIGHT (re; child) Where is our assignment? Reese peers past Nick's shoulder, and we follow his gaze out, into the bullpen. We see a uniformed officer, doing his best to answer a barrage of questions from WESLEY JONES, seven, precocious and overactive. Reese looks back at Nick, who rolls his eyes. REESE Look, I know neither of you wants this assignment, but I would feel better with the two of you watching this pistol. PLATT The little bugger have a name? REESE Wesley Jones. PLATT Great. He even has a yuppie name. KNIGHT Where are his parents? REESE They were the victims of the hit. ANGLE NICK and PLATT; aw, man. Now they've got to feel sorry for the kid. A look passes between the two detectives, then they both glare at Reese, who looks sternly at them. REESE (CONT) Jones Sr., worked for the mob, and made the bad judgment call of trying to skim some money off the top of their books. Any more questions? KNIGHT (re; the kid) What do we feed him? Reese and Platt both look at Nick, who just sort of shrugs. PLATT Don't worry Cap; I'm not as clueless as my partner when it comes to kids. My sister's got two. KNIGHT *Uncle* Jeffrey? Nick begins to laugh at Platt, who just glares. REESE Just, both of you, get out of my office, and make sure nothing happens to this kid. On Nick and Platt exiting, we, CUT TO: EXT. PRECINCT NIGHT Parked across the street from the precinct, is a black van. JOE and JACK are within it, watching, as Nick, Platt and Wesley exit the station house. The two cops stop on the steps. PLATT Your house or mine? KNIGHT The loft will be more secure in terms of protection...... The two cops watch as Wesley pulls a sling shot from his pocket, loads it quickly with a rock and fires, breaking a car window. As the car alarm BUZZES, the two cops exchange a look. PLATT Let's hope we can protect your loft from the seven year old terror.... KNIGHT What do we do about the car window? PLATT (smiles) That's Reese's car.... Nick and Platt exchange a mischievous look. KNIGHT & PLATT (beat) Justice. Knight and Platt collect young Wesley and head toward the Caddy. They pile in and take off. Joe and Jack, in the black van, exchange a look. Without a word, Joe starts the engine, puts it in gear, and the black van pulls away from the curb, following the Caddy. On this, we, SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES EXT. EMPTY BEACH ON LAKEFRONT NIGHT LUCIEN LACROIX is walking along the beach, clearly in contemplation. The beach is empty. Almost. LaCroix frowns as he looks ahead of him. LC's POV; TOMMY WINSLOW, aged 6, small and rather frail looking, is making a sand castle in the dark, with the aid of a flashlight. LaCroix looks around the area, there is no sign of an adult to supervise the boy. LaCroix walks on, in the boy's direction, with no intention of stopping. He almost makes it, but the small boy's friendly voice catches the ancient vampire. TOMMY Hi. I'm Tommy. LaCroix stops; his face before he turns to look at the youth, is filled with an expression of complete irritation. When he turns, his eyebrow is cocked up, and he just stares at the boy, who is completely unaware of the impending danger. TOMMY (CONT) I'm making a sandcastle. Do you wanna help? LACROIX Thank you, no. LaCroix prepares to walk on; just as he begins to take a step, a Sandpiper flies by, landing on a sand turret that Tommy built into his castle. The boy's face lights up. TOMMY (CONT) Wow! A soul is being carried to heaven! LACROIX I beg your pardon? TOMMY The Sandpiper...that's what he does. He carries souls to heaven. LaCroix looks disgusted at the mention of heaven. LACROIX That bird is a Charadrius vociferus, and is part of the Plover family. It is not a 'Sandpiper'. TOMMY Oh. My mom always called them Sandpipers.... LACROIX Indeed. LaCroix starts off again, and this time, Tommy follows him, chattering incessantly. TOMMY My mom used to say that Sandpipers bring good luck too, no matter who you are or what you've done.... LaCroix stops and glares at the boy. LACROIX Really.....and just what is it, Master Thomas, that you think I've done? TOMMY (smiling) Do you have a name? LaCroix heaves a sigh and rolls his eyes. Anything to be rid of the troublesome child..... LACROIX Lucien LaCroix. TOMMY Nice ta meetcha Mr. L. One of LaCroix' eyebrows involuntarily raises at the nickname, but he says nothing. The vampire begins to walk once more, and the child continues to follow. TOMMY (CONT) Why didja come to the beach after dark? LACROIX I could ask the same of you. TOMMY Most people like to come here during the day..... LaCroix begins to tire of the incessant chatter, he stops and glares at the boy. LACROIX Shouldn't you be at home, having your dinner or something? For the first time, the child shows a less than exuberant expression. Tommy looks away, then down at the sand. LaCroix maintains his stern expression. LACROIX (CONT) Well? TOMMY (avoiding) I like making sandcastles. Have you ever made one? LACROIX No, I have not, and you didn't answer my question.... TOMMY (changes subject) Wanna help me make a new castle? LaCroix is a little taken aback, but regains his balance quickly enough. LACROIX You shouldn't be out here so late, alone. The night can be quite dangerous, you know. TOMMY (laughing) You're funny! LaCroix is not amused. Tommy starts to run off, back toward his castle. TOMMY (CONT) Bye Mr. L....maybe I'll see you again! LaCroix shakes his head at the rapidly disappearing youth. On LaCroix, we, CUT TO FLASHBACK: end part 01 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 22:26:37 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 02/12 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU EXT. ROMAN SQUARE 44 A.D. AURELIUS, 30's, regal looking and rather intimidating, is dressed as a Roman Senator of the period would be; following closely behind is his son, LUCIUS, 10, precocious. There are many people around; some peddling their wares, some walking quickly, others buying, some milling. Busy scene. There is an air of irritation emanating from Aurelius as he quickly moves through the crowd. The youth, clearly in awe of his father, is barraging the man with a zillion rapid fire questions. LUCIUS Rome is more beautiful than I had heard. There are so many people here. Do you ever buy things from the carts? Will we be able to see the Gladiators at the Colosseum? I've never been to the Colosseum, Father, I think I'm old enough now. We wouldn't have to tell Moth-- A hand suddenly flings itself into Lucius' face, striking him hard. Lucius stops immediately, and looks to the ground, trying to keep the tears that have welled up in his eyes, from falling. Aurelius has turned to face his son, and the man is overly angry. He grabs the boy by the shoulders, shaking him. We notice an ornate silver bracelet that Aurelius is wearing as he grabs the boy. AURELIUS How many times have I told you not to plague me with your endless questions? You are the son of a Roman Senator. Act like it. LUCIUS I'm sorry Father. AURELIUS That is not good enough. (beat) I told your mother you were not old enough to come with me to Rome. If you cannot stay silent, I will send you back to Pompeii. LUCIUS Please Father, I'll be good...I promise. Aurelius lets go of his son, but his glare does not dissipate. AURELIUS See that you do not incur my wrath again. LUCIUS I'll try not to, Father. Aurelius begins walking, and Lucius, his exuberance all but gone, follows silently at a distance. On this, we, CUT BACK TO PRESENT: EXT. BEACH CONTINUOUS LaCroix has stopped walking. He is facing the water, and he has slammed his eyes shut against the painful memory. He shakes his head at himself, disgusted that he allowed his mind to wander down the old road of abuse that he took from his father. He looks back toward the direction of Tommy and his castle. The boy is busy, building. LaCroix shakes his head sadly; he knows the reason the boy is out here and doesn't want to go home. He remembers well, the fear of an abusive father. It is a mortal problem. It is certainly not the problem of a 2000 year old vampire. LaCroix suddenly takes to the air. On his exit, we, CUT TO: EXT. NICK'S LOFT NIGHT The black van is parked across the street from Nick's loft. Joe and Jack are sitting there, waiting. On this, we, CUT TO: INT. NICK'S LOFT NIGHT Platt is standing in the living room, Nick is descending the stairs. PLATT Well? KNIGHT He's asleep. PLATT Finally. KNIGHT I didn't think he'd ever wear out. PLATT Welcome to the wonderful world of little boys, Nick. You were one, once - weren't you? KNIGHT (smiling) A very long time ago. Nick sits on the couch, and so does Platt. PLATT There's some pizza left. KNIGHT No thanks. I'm not hungry. PLATT You didn't eat any, you should be starving... KNIGHT Don't you think it's odd-- PLATT --That you never eat? Yes. KNIGHT No. Wesley. PLATT He's a seven year old Nick. They're all odd. KNIGHT No. He never mentions his parents. This kid just lost both of them. He witnessed a couple of thugs murder his mother and father, and he's never mentioned it. He hasn't let out so much as a sniffle. It's weird. PLATT Not really. A lot of people who are traumatized by violent crimes don't react emotionally right away. Especially children. Instead they shove it down, trying to avoid feeling the pain. It's fairly normal, Nick. The really scary ones, are the ones who are traumatized and don't ever deal with it. They hold it in, and become wacko adults... ANGLE NICK; reminds him of someone he knows.... KNIGHT Shouldn't we get the kid to a psychiatrist or something? PLATT I'm certain that Social Services will put him in counseling as soon as he's done testifying. KNIGHT Social Services? PLATT The kid's an orphan, Nick. What did you think was going to happen to him when the Crown's done with him? KNIGHT Hadn't thought about it, I guess. It doesn't seem...right somehow. PLATT Nothin' else they can do, unless they locate a relative willing to take the kid on. KNIGHT Or unless they find somebody to adopt him.... PLATT You volunteering? Nick just glares at Platt. Knight was only wondering. Or was he? Knight looks at his watch and walks over to the stereo system. Platt groans. Nick glares. PLATT (CONT) C'mon, Nick....please don't torture me with that weirdo Nightcrawler guy. KNIGHT You'll live.... Off Nick switching the system on, we, CUT TO: end part 02 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 22:26:48 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 03/12 To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu EXT. RAVEN NIGHT Establishing stock of the Raven's entrance, and we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN NIGHT The joint is jumpin' with a lot of Patrons. We PAN through the club and wind up; INT. SOUNDBOOTH CONTINUOUS LaCroix is poised in front of the microphone. His velvety tones fill the booth. LACROIX Fathers and sons, gentle listeners. An oft pondered subject here on Nightwatch. INTERCUT: INT. NICK'S LOFT Nick glares at the mention of Fathers and sons. He is about to turn the program off, but hesitates as LaCroix continues. LACROIX (CONT) One must first be a son, before he can be a father. And how much of his father creeps into his persona as a parent? In some cases, one imagines that it would be best if little or none of one's own father insinuates itself into his psyche. (laughs) But then, how possible is that, really? Humans generally learn by example. Hence the modern idea that abuse runs in families. ANGLE Nick; where is LaCroix going with this? LACROIX (CONT) And what of your own father, mes amis? Was he kind, nurturing, gentle? Or was he the very picture of a two headed monster with sharp teeth waiting for you in the dark? (beat) One wonders if it's possible to change the pattern. To break the abuse.... ANGLE LaCroix; his own words are hitting him. He takes a long breath, gathering himself. LACROIX (CONT) A father does not create a child with the intention of hurting that child. Perhaps sometimes, his only way of showing emotion, is the wrong way. ANGLE NICK; what's up with the old man? END INTERCUT: INT. SOUNDBOOTH CONTINUOUS LaCroix looks tired; as if his thoughts have placed a burden upon him. LACROIX (CONT) Maybe all fathers deserve a second chance. Maybe. But what does one do, when it is too late? He flicks a switch on his console, and the red "on air" light goes out. Sighing, LaCroix gets up, preparing to exit the booth. He looks up quickly at the doorway, as he senses a presence. LC's POV; JANETTE DUCHARME is standing in the doorway, her arms crossed in front of her. She looks slightly irritated. JANETTE What are you doing? LACROIX What does it look like? He quickly moves to put away a few CD's. Janette steps into the room and closes the door. He glares at her. JANETTE You haven't thought about him in centuries. LACROIX (covering) Who? JANETTE Your father. That gets his attention. He just looks at her, almost dumbfounded. Then he recovers, and he is irked. LACROIX Don't be ridiculous. JANETTE I'm not. LaCroix is shuffling items around, as though he were cleaning up. Janette walks over to him and removes the papers he's holding, setting them on the desk. She gently touches his hand, he pulls it away from her, glaring. JANETTE (CONT) I can feel your distress, mon pere. You cannot hide it. LaCroix has had enough. He gets in her face, looking quite scary. LACROIX You feel nothing of the kind, and I don't want to hear another word about it. (beat) Comprenez-vous? Janette can only nod. He glares dangerously. LACROIX (CONT) (snarling) Tres bien. He stalks out. Janette lets out a sigh of air. Off her, we, CUT TO: INT. OFFICE NIGHT Joe and Jack enter a very lavish office. MR. SALVATORE MARTIN, 50's, intelligent, designer suit, is standing with his back to them, looking out the window. MARTIN Well? Joe and Jack exchange a glance. JOE We know where they have taken him. MARTIN And? JOE And we will take care of it. Martin finally turns around to face them. He has a long scar down his left cheek. MARTIN If you had 'taken care of it' we wouldn't be in this position, now would we? JOE No, Mr. Martin. MARTIN If that child makes it to the witness stand, he can identify the two of you. That could lead to me. A man in my position does not stay alive by allowing this kind of sloppiness. JOE It won't happen again. MARTIN His father attempted to steal from me. He paid for it with not only his life, but his wife's as well. The child I would not have touched, but the two of you have made that impossible. (beat) See that I do not need to make examples of the two of you. On Joe and Jack, we, CUT TO: INT. LACROIX' BEDROOM DAWN LaCroix, wearing only a robe, is pacing. His mind is whirling with memories of his father. He is irritated at himself for dwelling on such unpleasant nostalgia. We hear a KNOCK at his door, as he turns toward it, it opens. Janette, carrying a glass of bloodwine, peers around the door, and tentatively enters. LaCroix stops pacing and stares at her. Janette walks over to him, silently handing him the glass. He accepts the offering, sipping the liquid. After a few moments, he breaks the silence. LACROIX A peace offering? JANETTE I was unaware that I needed one.... LaCroix smiles at her. He did overreact earlier. LACROIX You do not. Janette walks over to him and kisses him on the cheek. She runs a gentle hand along his face. JANETTE If you need me.... LACROIX I know. Janette exits. LaCroix heaves a sigh after the door closes behind her. On him, we, FADE OUT: END ACT ONE end part 03 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 14:47:40 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 04/12 To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu ACT TWO FADE IN: INT. NICK'S LOFT DAY Nick is asleep on the couch. Platt is sacked out on the floor. Wesley quietly slips down the stairs and, armed with his sling shot, heads toward the elevator. Nick awakens and glares at the child. With vampiric speed and stealth, Nick is suddenly standing right behind the boy. KNIGHT And just where do you think you're going? Wesley about jumps out of his skin. WESLEY Nowhere. I mean, I'm not going-- KNIGHT --Wesley, don't lie to me. WESLEY I'm not, exactly. KNIGHT Oh? WESLEY I was just going outside to play. KNIGHT Wesley, that constitutes 'going out'..... WESLEY It's boring in here. You guys are asleep, and I have nothing to do. KNIGHT There are a lot of books. Why don't you read one of them? Wesley looks at Nick as though he has two heads. KNIGHT (CONT) How about television? WESLEY You don't have one in your bedroom..... KNIGHT You can use the one down here. WESLEY Jeffrey told me I had to be quiet during the day. KNIGHT Well.....just don't let it blare. WESLEY Why can't I just go outside for awhile? KNIGHT It's too dangerous. WESLEY Not if you go with me. ANGLE NICK; if only that were possible. KNIGHT Wesley, it's too dangerous. You have to stay in here where Jeffrey and I can protect you. Do you understand? WESLEY I suppose.... KNIGHT Fine. Let's go see what's on TV. Wesley rolls his eyes. This isn't going to be much fun. On Nick, we, CUT TO: INT. LACROIX' BEDROOM DAY LaCroix is in bed, tossing and turning. After a moment or two, his eyes snap open. He heaves a sigh and gets out of bed. He paces a few moments, then sits in a chair. This doesn't last long, before he's up, pacing again. He finally stops in front of a wooden box sitting on a table. The box is very old. With trepidation, LaCroix opens the box. Carefully he removes an object which has been wrapped in what appears to be a gauze-like material. He holds the object with reverence. After staring at it, he unwraps it, and we CLOSE on the silver bracelet we saw Aurelius wearing in the previous flashback. On LaCroix, we, CUT TO FLASHBACK: INT. ROMAN BROTHEL 44 AD Aurelius walks into the brothel, with Lucius in tow. He grabs the boy roughly, and gets into the child's face with a warning. AURELIUS Do not speak to anyone. Do not move from this spot. Do you understand? LUCIUS Yes Father. AURELIUS Do not disappoint me, Lucius.... LUCIUS I won't, Father. Aurelius disappears. The boy stands still for a few moments, and then one of the women employed at the brothel, approaches him. MAGDA, 20's, pretty, clearly decides to make Lucius uncomfortable; especially when she discovers who the boy is. MAGDA So little one, why are you here? Come to discover what you have? She punctuates her meaning with a well placed grab to the boy's crotch. He shies away. MAGDA (CONT) Don't tell me you're afraid. LUCIUS I am afraid of nothing. MAGDA Big words for such a little man. LUCIUS My Father says that women such as you are not to be treated with respect by those of my class. MAGDA Really? And who is your father? LUCIUS The Senator, Aurelius. MAGDA Aurelius the pig? (laughs) What would he know about pleasing a woman? Lucius is clearly overmatched. She moves in on the boy, grabbing him hard at the groin. He winces in pain. MAGDA (CONT) So, little man, why are you here? LUCIUS (wincing) Waiting for my Father. MAGDA Then perhaps you should see what it is that he does to 'women such as me'..... She drags the boy to a room down the hall, and, grabbing the child from behind, secures his mouth from moving. She silently opens the door. Lucius' POV; Aurelius, looking like a man angered by his own failings, is mercilessly beating a woman. Lucius' eyes grow wide; he can't believe what he is seeing. Magda lets go of the child and disappears. Lucius is too stunned to move. Unfortunately, Aurelius turns and sees the boy staring at him. Enraged, the man advances and grabs the child. AURELIUS How dare you violate my privacy. I told you not to move from the place I left you. Now it is your turn for a lesson that you shall not forget. Aurelius begins to beat Lucius so hard that the boy can barely stand. LUCIUS (crying) Father, please, no.... Aurelius just laughs at the boy and continues the beating. On the child losing consciousness, we, CUT BACK TO PRESENT: INT. LACROIX' BEDROOM CONTINUOUS LaCroix' eyes have filled with moisture, and he shuts them against the painful memory. Finally, with a sigh, he wraps the object back up and returns it to its box. As he closes the box, we hear a very soft KNOCK on his door, followed by the door opening. Janette enters. LaCroix knows she is there, but he says nothing. She walks in. JANETTE Are you all right? LACROIX Of course. (beat) Why are you awake? JANETTE I felt your....agitation. He glares at her. JANETTE (CONT) I just wanted to check on you..... LACROIX As you can see, I am fine. Janette has inched closer and can see the box on the table; even though he has not told her everything, she knows it all has to do with his father. JANETTE What's in the box? LACROIX Nothing. JANETTE What has upset you mon-- LaCroix turns in anger on her, raising a hand to strike her. LACROIX --Enough! He catches himself with arm upraised, and, disgusted that he has become like his own father, lets the arm fall. He can say nothing. The nickel drops for Janette. JANETTE That's it, isn't it? He used to beat you. LACROIX I'm very tired, Janette. If you'll excuse me.... LaCroix turns his back to her, dismissing her. Realizing she cannot push him, Janette retreats. JANETTE Of course.... Janette exits. ANGLE LACROIX on the close of the door; his face is full of the pain inflicted by ghosts of the past. On this, we, CUT TO: end part 04 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 14:47:52 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 05/12 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU INT. NICK'S LOFT DUSK Wesley is sitting in front of the television, looking incredibly bored. Nick and Platt are standing behind the couch, a few feet between the couch and the kitchen. PLATT (re; Wesley) Nick, the kid is bored out of his mind. KNIGHT He's got the television.... PLATT Yes, but you've made him watch the History channel most of the day. KNIGHT It's good for him. PLATT And boring. KNIGHT It's not accurate either. This comment illicits a strange look from Jeffrey, but he says nothing about it. PLATT The kid's gonna go bonkers soon. KNIGHT What do you want me to do? It's not as if I was prepared.... PLATT We need to get some things that will be more entertaining. KNIGHT I'll go. PLATT No way. (off a look) You'll buy all the wrong stuff. Nick bristles at the comment, but deep down, he knows its true. Nick sighs. KNIGHT Fine. (beat) Just don't get him any war stuff. PLATT War stuff? KNIGHT You know, play guns. PLATT I'm a cop, Nick. I'm not about to contribute to the delinquency of a minor. Platt smiles and exits. Wesley gets up from the couch and walks over to Nick. WESLEY Where did Jeffrey go? KNIGHT He went to get you a few things to help alleviate the boredom. WESLEY What's he gonna get? KNIGHT I haven't the slightest. (beat) In the meantime, I guess it's up to me to entertain you. (beat) How would you like to learn about painting? WESLEY You mean like graffiti? KNIGHT Uh, no. I mean real painting; the kind that was done by the Masters. WESLEY Masters? Like Golf? KNIGHT No, Wesley. The Masters in painting. DaVinci, Michelangelo, Picasso.... Nick's voice fades out as he takes a good look at the boy's face. Not of interest. KNIGHT (CONT) I guess you're not very interested in that. WESLEY Not really. KNIGHT How about finger painting? WESLEY You mean I could paint? KNIGHT As long as you promise to keep it on the canvas and not on my walls. WESLEY Cool. Wesley runs toward the area where Nick keeps his paints and supplies. The boy turns eagerly back to face Nick. ANGLE NICK; what have I gotten myself into? On Nick's unsure smile, we, CUT TO: EXT. BEACH NIGHT LaCroix is walking slowly on the beach, his hands in his pants pockets. He looks sullen. He is not sure why he has come back to this spot. He looks around, but there is no sign of the little boy, Tommy. LaCroix scoffs at himself; looking for the company of a six year old mortal? Ridiculous. LaCroix walks on. A voice comes at him from behind. TOMMY Hi Mr. L! LaCroix turns; at first he is irritated, but he quickly covers it. He smiles, sorta, at the boy. LACROIX Good evening, Master Thomas. Building another castle are we? TOMMY Yep. Gonna help? LACROIX I really don't think-- Before LaCroix has a chance to finish his negative thought, the child has grabbed him by the hand, and is unsuccessfully trying to pull LaCroix toward another section of the beach. LaCroix pulls his hand back, and he looks unsettled by the fact that the boy took his hand. On LaCroix, we, CUT TO FLASHBACK: EXT. BEACH 44 AD DAY Lucius is playing in the sand, making arches and structures resembling the Colosseum. Aurelius appears above him, hands on hips; he is displeased. He yells at the boy. AURELIUS Lucius! What are you doing? The boy looks up and runs to his father. LUCIUS Building with the sand. I'd like to design a place more mighty than the Colosseum when I grow up. This illicits laughter from Aurelius. ANGLE LUCIUS; hurt that his father would laugh at the suggestion. AURELIUS Do not waste your time, boy. You are to be a great warrior. I have told you this before. No son of mine is going to play with stones for his life's avocation. (beat) Why are you not working with Marcus? You should have begun your training exercises over an hour ago. LUCIUS I....I lost track of the time. AURELIUS Indeed. I shall have to teach you not to loose track of the time, Lucius. Aurelius grabs the child by the ear, and drags him from the beach. On this, we, CUT BACK TO PRESENT: end part 05 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 14:48:06 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 06/12 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU EXT. BEACH CONTINUOUS TOMMY Mr. L? Mr. L, are you okay? LaCroix snaps out of his reverie, and looks at the child. LACROIX Of course. (beat) What type of castle are you planning to build? TOMMY Come on, I'll show you. The boy races off, and with a slight smile in spite of himself, LaCroix follows. At the top of a sand dune, we see a castle in progress. It is quite grand. LaCroix looks at it approvingly. LACROIX This is quite magnificent, Master Thomas. Are you planning on becoming an architect when you grow up? ANGLE TOMMY; there is a brief hint of sadness in the pale features, but then it is gone. Tommy shrugs. Before LaCroix can press further, a man, MR. WINSLOW, 30's, tired looking, appears on the porch of a beach house fairly nearby. WINSLOW Tommy....Tommy, get in here. TOMMY (to LaCroix) I have to go now. LACROIX Is that your father? TOMMY Yep. WINSLOW Tommy, now! TOMMY I've gotta go. See ya later, Mr. L. LACROIX Good bye, Master Thomas. LaCroix watches the boy greet his father, and with his vampiric hearing, he picks up that the father is not happy with his son. Winslow takes Tommy immediately into the house. It looks familiar to LaCroix; familiar and abusive. On LaCroix frowning, we, CUT TO: INT. NICK'S LOFT NIGHT Paint is everywhere. It's all over Wesley. It's all over Nick. It's on the floor, the chairs, the table, and yes, even the walls. It is quite clear from their faces, that Wesley and Nick have just engaged in a paint fight. They look at each other and begin laughing. The elevator lift engages, and Nick's face turns serious: If it were Jeffrey, he would have had to use the intercom. Nick grabs Wesley and shoves him toward the downstairs bathroom. KNIGHT Don't come out until I tell you it's okay. WESLEY What's wrong? KNIGHT Maybe nothing. Maybe something. Just do as I say. Wesley goes into the bathroom and locks the door. Nick waits to spring on the intruder, near the lift door. The lift stops and the door opens. Nick grabs the intruder's arm and pulls with force, which sends the unsuspecting DR. NATALIE LAMBERT flying through the air. Natalie lands in a heap on the floor. She looks up, apparently undamaged, and glares at Nick, who has a most surprised and embarrassed look on his face. They hold the look. Nick quickly goes to help Nat up. KNIGHT (CONT) Nat....I'm so sorry.... NATALIE What in the hell were you-- Natalie gets a good look at all the paint on Nick and around the loft. She stares at him. NATALIE (CONT) Redecorating? Nick takes in his own appearance, and that of his loft. KNIGHT Well, not exactly. Babysitting. Nat frowns. NATALIE Babysitting? KNIGHT (calls to Wesley) Wes...you can come out now. Wesley emerges from the bathroom. The nickel drops as she takes in the paint covered child. NATALIE And who might this be? KNIGHT This is Wesley. Jeffrey and I have been assigned to protect him. NATALIE Looks to me like you're the one who needs protection. Where is Jeffrey? KNIGHT Went to get some stuff. Natalie decides to let it go. KNIGHT (CONT) What brings you over here? NATALIE I was worried. KNIGHT About? NATALIE I haven't seen you, and your phone's out of order. KNIGHT No it's not. NATALIE Yes, it is. Nick walks over to his phone and picks it up. No dial tone. Uh-oh. He gets a panicked look on his face. NATALIE (CONT) Nick? KNIGHT Line's out. NATALIE Told you.... Suddenly, the lights in the loft go out, it's pitch black, save for what little moonlight is coming in through the windows. Natalie pulls a sharp intake of air, and Wesley screams, just slightly. Nick grabs Wesley and Natalie and speaks quickly. The lift engages. KNIGHT Nat, take Wesley upstairs and lock the bedroom door. No matter what happens, stay in there unless I tell you to come out. NATALIE But Nick-- KNIGHT --No time. Go, now. Nat grabs the boy and they quickly go upstairs. Nick looks around, thinking. The door to the elevator opens, Joe and Jack quickly come out, armed with guns. They are greeted by nothing. The two thugs exchange a look. Where are they? Joe indicates the stairs, Jack nods. As Jack heads toward the stairs, Nick descends upon him from the ceiling, where he has been hovering. With the element of surprise on his side, Nick manages to send the man flying into a wall. Joe fires his gun and hits Nick several times, which only serves to enrage the vampire, who vamps out and snarls. Joe screams. Nick comes after him, and Jack begins to fire his gun at Nick. Seeing that bullets have no effect, and fearing that Joe is about to become dinner, Jack grabs paint thinner from Nick's painting supplies, stuffs a cloth in the mouth of the container, and lights it with a lighter from his pocket. He tosses the paint thinner toward Nick, and gets the desired effect, as it explodes practically on Nick. Joe and Jack use the diversion to escape. Nick fights off the flames, and successfully puts himself out, but the fire is catching on quickly, given the flammable paint materials. Before we know it, the loft is going up, fast. The living room is filled with smoke, and Nick realizes he has to go through flames to get to Natalie and Wesley. He flies toward the staircase, just as the bottom of the staircase is engulfed in flames. Smoke is everywhere, and Nick can barely see. He yells to Natalie through the door. KNIGHT Natalie! Wesley! Nick can only hear rasping COUGHS through the door. He wastes no time in breaking it down. He sees Nat and Wesley on the floor of the now smoke-filled bedroom. He grabs Nat, who comes to quickly and starts to run for the door. Nick grabs her. KNIGHT (CONT) We can't go that way. Fire. NATALIE How will we get out? KNIGHT Only one way I can think of.... Nick looks toward the skylight in the loft. Nat rolls her eyes. Nick grabs Wesley under one arm and Nat in the other and takes off, smashing through the skylight. EXT. NICK'S LOFT NIGHT Nick lands with Natalie and Wesley. The boy is just coming to and coughs uncontrollably. Natalie is busy checking him over. Nick looks toward his now blazing loft. NICK'S POV; the loft is history, up in flames. On this, we, FADE OUT: END ACT TWO end part 06 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1998 12:58:47 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 07/12 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU ACT THREE FADE IN: EXT. NICK'S LOFT NIGHT Emergency vehicles are all around. Red lights flashing; some firemen are still working to make sure that the fire is truly out. Nick, Natalie and Wesley are standing near an ambulance, surprisingly none the worse for all the wear. Reese enters frame. REESE What the hell happened? KNIGHT I'm not sure how, but a couple of men got into the loft. I held them off for awhile, but then one of them started a fire with a can of paint thinner. REESE Where's Jeffrey? PLATT Right here. Platt enters, arms full of bags from a local toy shop. PLATT (CONT) (to Knight) I leave you alone for an hour, and look what happens. KNIGHT (snaps) Could you just cut me some slack, please? Platt looks toward the loft. Oops. PLATT I don't suppose you managed to save any of the stuff I had in there? Nick just glares at his partner. PLATT (CONT) Guess not. REESE Jeffrey, put a sock in it. Platt glares, but says nothing more. REESE (CONT) Did you get a good look at them, Nick? KNIGHT It was pretty dark, but I think I might have made one of them. I'll have to see some mug shots though. REESE We've got to go to the station anyway. This whole business is a bust. I'll work on getting you two a safe house. KNIGHT Cap....these guys meant business. REESE (re; the loft) I can see that. Reese takes Jeffrey by the arm and they exit frame. Nat moves closer to Nick. Wes is staring at what's left of the loft. NATALIE You know, Nick, this kid's been through a lot in the past few days. KNIGHT Yeah, I know. NATALIE I think it might be good, if I stay with you guys-- KNIGHT --No way. It's too dangerous. NATALIE Just hear me out. (off a look) You and Jeffrey might be able to keep him safe, and entertain him with paints, but I think the feminine touch might be required for the rest. KNIGHT The rest? What are you talking about? NATALIE You can be so obtuse sometimes. I'm talking about his emotional state of mind. He lost both his parents right before his eyes, and tonight, somebody tried to kill him by lighting your loft on fire. KNIGHT Actually I think they were trying to kill me.... NATALIE You know what I mean. KNIGHT I doubt the Captain will approve of it, Nat. NATALIE You leave Reese to me. I want to know where you stand. KNIGHT I don't like the idea of you putting yourself in danger, but if Reese gives a green light, I can hardly contradict him. But he'll never give the okay. Ever. CUT TO: CLOSE on the overly smug face of Natalie Lambert. NATALIE Would you like the use of a fork to shovel all those words back into your mouth? INT. PRECINCT NIGHT KNIGHT I can't believe he went for it. What did you say to him? REESE She told me she'd report us to child services regarding the fire at your loft if I didn't go along with her. KNIGHT Blackmail. You resorted to blackmail? NATALIE Any port in a storm. Shall we go? REESE Just a minute. (off a look) The guy you ID'd, Nick, Jack Sorrento....he works for Salvatore Martin-- PLATT --Salvatore Martin's into every possible area of organized crime. This guy plays for keeps and then some. REESE Exactly. There's more. I showed the mug shot of our Mr. Sorrento to Wesley. He identified him as one of the triggers. PLATT Oh man. REESE You two had better stay sharp. I've put out an APB on both Martin and Sorrento, but I doubt it's going to be as easy as that.... KNIGHT We'd better get going.... On the mass exit, we, CUT TO: INT. SOUNDBOOTH NIGHT The Nightcrawler is on the air.... LACROIX Some of our deepest fears lie buried within our psyches. Fears so complex that the conscious mind is completely unaware of them, until that one moment when those fears are jolted awake. It could be the smell of something familiar, a sound or a situation that brings those childhood fears screaming back to the surface of our conscious minds. And once we recognize them for what they are, then what? What if the thing we are afraid of no longer exists, except in our minds? How does one confront a ghost? (beat) Perhaps we are not meant to make peace with the specters of our past, but rather to learn from the mistakes that drove those close to us over the edge. Perhaps it is within us to overcome the follies of our ancestors and grow beyond irrational fears. Perhaps. (beat) Nourishment for the brain, gentle listeners. As always, I am the Nightcrawler, and for some out there, I am the thing you fear the most..... On LaCroix' maniacal laugh, we, CUT TO: end part 07 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1998 13:00:06 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 08/12 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU INT. SAFE HOUSE NIGHT Natalie switches off the radio, which had been tuned to CERK. NATALIE What blew up his skirt? KNIGHT (covering) Haven't a clue. PLATT The Nightcrawler's always weird. Why should tonight be any different? Nick shrugs it off and changes the subject. KNIGHT (to Platt) What goodies did you buy Wesley? Platt starts looking through the bags, listing the goodies he purchased. PLATT Nintendo-- KNIGHT --That's educational-- PLATT --Some baseball stuff-- KNIGHT --Really practical for indoor use-- PLATT --chemistry set-- KNIGHT --Good, now we can blow up this safe house-- PLATT --a puppy-- KNIGHT --Now we'll have to get newspap-- WHAT? PLATT (smiling) Just checking to see if you were paying attention... Chess set-- KNIGHT --The first practical thing-- PLATT --Could you be someplace else? Nick looks at him with a wounded face. PLATT (CONT) This man nags, Natalie. Don't ever marry him. Nick and Nat exchange an uncomfortable look. Platt has no idea of the territory he's stomping on. NATALIE (sotto to Nick) Where did that come from? Nick shrugs. Wesley enters, ready for bed. WESLEY Could somebody tuck me in? NATALIE How 'bout me? Maybe we can have a little chat... WESLEY Okay. Wesley and Natalie exit. PLATT Natalie's pretty good with kids. So, what about it, Nick? You two ever think about gettin' together? KNIGHT Jeffrey.... PLATT Don't 'Jeffrey' me. I'm serious. KNIGHT It....wouldn't work out. PLATT Bullsh-- KNIGHT --Jeffrey.... PLATT Such a negative attitude, Nick. Never get you anywhere. She's hopelessly in love with you, you know. KNIGHT Don't be ridiculous. PLATT I'm not. KNIGHT What makes you think that Nat's in love with me? PLATT How 'bout the way she looks at you when you walk into a room, or the faraway look she gets in her eyes when somebody mentions your name? You really are dense sometimes. ANGLE NICK; part of him is thrilled to hear these things, and another part is devastated. KNIGHT (mutters) Thick as a brick, I'm told. On this, we, CUT TO: INT. LACROIX' BEDROOM NIGHT LaCroix enters and walks over to the box on the table. He opens it, removes the bracelet, pulls off the gauze, and looks at the silver piece which once belonged to his father. He tries the bracelet on his right wrist. Too big. He remembered his father as being a large man; but as an adult, he always believed the largeness was just the perspective of a child. He leaves the bracelet on anyway, and walks out of the bedroom and we follow him into, INT. LACROIX' LIVING ROOM CONTINUOUS He walks over to the window, where he stares out, into the night. He begins fingering the bracelet, thinking. On LaCroix, we, CUT TO FLASHBACK: INT. ROMAN DWELLING 46 A.D. EVENING Lucius, now 12 years old, is sitting on the steps of a sunken room. He is reading from parchment. DIANA, 30's, dark hair and features, his mother, enters the room. DIANA Lucius, have you finished your studies? Your father will be home soon, you won't want to disappoint him. LUCIUS I always disappoint him, but yes, I am just finishing. DIANA Why do you say that you always disappoint him? LUCIUS Because I do. DIANA He's very proud of you. LUCIUS No he's not. I'm never as smart or as strong as he wishes me to be. DIANA He just wants for you to attain a high position, as he has done. LUCIUS So he can parade me about, most likely. DIANA Lucius.... Aurelius enters. All goes quiet. AURELIUS Well? What are the two of you doing? DIANA Nothing, really, Aurelius. I was just explaining to Lucius that you are proud of him, and that he won't disappoint you. AURELIUS Is that so? (beat) And how would you know, Diana? You are a woman, quite incapable of knowing a man's business, much less his mind. DIANA I was merely-- Aurelius takes a swing, and connects with Diana's jaw, sending her flying. Lucius takes a menacing step toward his father. Aurelius just smiles at his son. AURELIUS You have something to say, Lucius? The boy can say nothing, or he will receive the same. The two hold a look for a long moment, then, wordlessly, Lucius turns and walks out, disgusted with himself. On this, we, CUT BACK TO PRESENT: end part 08 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1998 13:01:32 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 09/12 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU INT. LACROIX' LIVING ROOM CONTINUOUS Overcome with emotion from his memory, LaCroix has accidentally crushed his own wrist, where he was absentmindedly squeezing his father's bracelet. He winces in pain. Janette enters, and sees him holding his wrist weakly. She goes to him. JANETTE LaCroix? LACROIX It is nothing. Janette guides him to the couch, and gently inspects his wrist. JANETTE Your wrist, it's crushed. LACROIX It was an accident. It will heal momentarily. Janette gets up, goes to the bar and pours him a glass of bloodwine. She brings it to him, and with his good hand, he upends the contents in one gulp. Janette gets him another, and this time, he sips it. JANETTE I have never seen that bracelet..... LACROIX It....belonged to my father. Nickel drops. JANETTE When are you going to stop torturing yourself? He gets up abruptly from the couch. LACROIX I don't know what you're talking about. JANETTE Don't you? LACROIX Perhaps torture is the only thing I deserve... JANETTE Feeling sorry for yourself? This is hardly like you. He turns on her, and his eyes are blazing orbs of gold. LACROIX Might I suggest that you drop a subject that you know little about.... JANETTE You told me of it, a long time ago. LACROIX I told you only part of it. She walks to him, and takes his broken wrist in her hands, gently caressing it. JANETTE Then tell me all of it, now. LaCroix pulls away from her. It is partly in shame and partly in anger. LACROIX I cannot. Janette moves closer again, but he cannot stand to have her close to him. Not now. They hold a look; Janette is terrified by the look on his face, he is so haunted. He quickly exits out the door. She knows better than to follow him. JANETTE Oh LaCroix.... On Janette's worried face, we, CUT TO: EXT. SAFE HOUSE NIGHT A uniformed cop sits in a squad car, observing the safe house. As he takes a sip of his coffee, an arm quickly reaches through the open window, wrapping a cord around the officer's neck. There is no time to react, the officer is quickly strangled, and slumps over, into the passenger seat. REVEAL SALVATORE MARTIN, as he straightens himself out. Martin, Jack and Joe start silently toward the safe house. In the dark, we can see the moonlight shine off their guns as they draw them. JOE We really can handle this, Mr. Martin... MARTIN My father always said, if you want something done right, do it yourself. On this, we, FADE OUT: END ACT THREE end part 09 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 12:02:20 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 10/12 To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu ACT FOUR FADE IN: INT. SAFE HOUSE NIGHT The house is quiet. Everyone is asleep. Nick, the only one left awake, is sitting on the couch, reading. His overly sensitive hearing catches a sound from the kitchen; the back door. Nick quickly gets up and heads toward the kitchen. Joe, Jack and Martin have just entered. In the dark, Nick makes his move, lunging first for Jack, knocking him down, the man falling unconscious, to the floor. GUN SHOTS are fired. Nick dodges the bullets, but stops momentarily. INTERCUT: INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY CONTINUOUS Platt comes out of his room, gun drawn. He runs into Nat's room, she's awake, and they run into Wesley's room. INTERCUT: INT. KITCHEN CONTINUOUS MARTIN (to Joe) Get the kid. I'll handle him... Joe escapes the room, heading for the upstairs. Nick just glares at Martin. KNIGHT He's just a boy. MARTIN Boy or not, he can identify two of my men, which could eventually lead to me. I don't like it, but I can't have that. KNIGHT So you're just going to kill us all? MARTIN Something like that. KNIGHT And as long as you're alive, the boy's safety will be in jeopardy. I don't like it, but I can't have that.... ANGLE NICK; reasoning with this one is out of the question. As long as he lives, there will be a danger to the boy. In a split second, Nick makes a decision, and he lunges, fangs bared, for Martin's throat. Martin screams, but it's too late. Nick is on him; he bends back Martin's head, exposing his throat, and rips violently into the man's flesh. After a moment, the man is drained, and Nick drops his body to the floor. For a moment, Nick feels woozy from the human blood. He wipes his own chin, and his eyes revert to blue. SHOTS ring out from upstairs. Nick flies out of the room. CUT TO: INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY CONTINUOUS Nick enters at a run, only to find Joe on the floor, shot. Natalie is cuddling Wesley, who is crying like a baby. Jeffrey is standing nearby, his gun still smoking. PLATT I had no choice. KNIGHT I know what you mean. Natalie looks up at Nick, and the meaning is clear. He can't look her in the eyes. On this, we, CUT TO: EXT. BEACH NEAR DAWN LaCroix is walking along the beach, it is close to dawn. He suddenly realizes he needs shelter, before the sun rises completely. He looks around; not much, it's a beach. The sun is coming up. He looks toward the dawn, and as the sun rises and hits his skin, he begins to smoke. He lost track of the time. On his slightly panicked look, we, CUT TO: INT. NATALIE'S APARTMENT DAY Nick and Nat are sitting on her couch. KNIGHT I appreciate the hospitality. NATALIE No problem. Nat studies Nick for a moment. NATALIE (CONT) What is it? KNIGHT You mean besides the fact that my loft is going to have to be rebuilt, and the fact that most of the artifacts were destroyed? NATALIE Yeah, besides all of that.... KNIGHT A couple of things. I miss Wesley. It's been so long since I've been around children, I've forgotten how much I like having them around. NATALIE Ah, the parent bug bit you. KNIGHT I guess so; sort of. NATALIE And beyond that? KNIGHT Something Jeffrey said, about us. Well, you, really. NATALIE Me? KNIGHT He thinks we should take a stab at a relationship. NATALIE Yeah, well, we know how that ends up-- (beat) It's more than that, what? KNIGHT I killed a man, Nat. I let the vampire take over and kill him. NATALIE You killed him to prevent him from killing a child. They are interrupted by the RING of Nick's cell phone. He answers it. KNIGHT Nick Knight. INTERCUT: INT. RAVEN DAY Janette looks tired and very worried. She is pacing near the bar, on the phone. JANETTE Nicolas...where the hell are you? CONTINUE INTERCUT: INT. NATALIE'S APARTMENT DAY KNIGHT I'm at Natalie's-- JANETTE I have tried to reach you at your loft for a few hours... KNIGHT It's a long story. What's wrong, Janette? At the mention of Janette's name, Nat's ears prick up, not to mention her ire.... JANETTE It's LaCroix. KNIGHT What about him? JANETTE He did not come home. KNIGHT So? JANETTE In case you hadn't noticed, the sun's up..... KNIGHT Janette, he's probably with a friend or something... JANETTE Non. You do not understand. He was very upset when he left. KNIGHT Janette, he's been upset before. He's hardly the type to walk into the sun. JANETTE Nicolas....he has not been himself. I'm not sure what's brought it on, but he has been thinking about his father. KNIGHT (beat) His father? JANETTE Oui. KNIGHT (thinking aloud) That's why he's been muttering about fathers and sons on his show. JANETTE He needs us, Nicolas. He would never say it, but I can hear it in his voice. KNIGHT Yes, I've felt it as well....but until dark, there is nothing we can do. JANETTE But Nicolas-- KNIGHT If something had happened to him, I would have felt it. I'm sure he's okay. JANETTE You will help me look for him tonight? KNIGHT Yes, but I'm sure he'll be back on his own. JANETTE I hope so..... (mixing) Give Dr. Lambert my love.... KNIGHT Right... Nick hangs up his phone and looks at Natalie, who is silently questioning him. KNIGHT LaCroix didn't come back this morning. NATALIE You don't seem too concerned. KNIGHT Does he seem the type to walk into the sun to you? NATALIE Not really, no. KNIGHT Exactly. (beat) Janette thinks he's upset about his father. NATALIE His father? KNIGHT I don't know much, Nat. Only that LaCroix hates his father. I don't know why... NATALIE Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me. On Nick, looking a tad worried now, we, CUT TO: end part 09 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 12:10:14 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 11/12 To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu Status: U oops.....the part that just went out as 09 is actually 10. heaven help the nutsy who can't number! sorry about that, those of you following this now have two part 09's, one of which is actually 10.... INT. BEACH HOUSE DAY LaCroix breaks into a beach house, very near the one in which we know the Winslows to reside. As he stumbles through the door, his skin is smoking, and he's in pain. He quickly covers up the windows with some dust sheets. Then he practically falls to the floor, exhaustion overtaking him. He looks weak and frail; very unlike the LaCroix that we know. Recalling the past, he rubs a scar on his chest. On LaCroix, we, CUT TO FLASHBACK: EXT. ROMAN DWELLING LATE AFTERNOON 50 A.D. Lucius, now 16, is being drilled in combat exercises by MARCUS, 20's, very big fellow. Lucius is holding his own, despite the overbalancing of the competition. Aurelius enters and watches his son. He laughs as Marcus gets the best of Lucius, and cuts him with a knife, deeply in his chest. Lucius falls to his knees. Aurelius motions Marcus away. Marcus exits. Aurelius walks over to his son, and pulls him up, examining the wound. AURELIUS It is only a flesh wound. You must be prepared to take far more than that on the battlefield. Lucius says nothing, he merely glares at his father. AURELIUS (CONT) Have you given any more thought to when you will enter the Emperor's Army? LUCIUS No. I would prefer to go to school and study the disciplines required for designing structures.... Pushing this button, immediately enrages Aurelius, who backhands his son, hard. Blood trickles down Lucius' lip, but the boy's icy blue eyes are as cold as we know them to be centuries later. He just stares at his father, displaying not the slightest amount of emotion. Aurelius smiles. AURELIUS Very good, Lucius. At least you have learned to control your emotions. It can be quite dangerous to you, if an opponent can engage you through anger. LUCIUS Oh yes, I've turned into exactly what you wanted me to be. The disciplined mind and cold heart of a warrior..... AURELIUS And would you rather have the soft hands and heart of an artist? LUCIUS At least art is immortal, Father. AURELIUS And what makes you think that battlefields are not? LUCIUS I don't suppose it really matters. I will wind up on a battlefield. AURELIUS Yes, you will. They hold a long look. The son's contempt for his father is fairly clear. Lucius exits. On this, we, CUT BACK TO PRESENT: INT. BEACH HOUSE CONTINUOUS LaCroix pulls himself into a ball of exhaustion and sorrow. On this, we, DISSOLVE TO: INT. BEACH HOUSE DUSK LaCroix is just waking up. He stretches; his wounds are healed. He gets up, and frowns. His sensitive ears are picking up a conversation. WINSLOW (V.O.) How many times must I tell you that you're not to stay outside late? TOMMY (V.O.) Nothing's gonna happen. WINSLOW (V.O.) I don't want you making any more of those sand castles; you shouldn't waste your energy on them. TOMMY (V.O.) Don't you think I know? Do you think I'm stupid? WINSLOW (V.O.) What are you talking about? TOMMY (V.O.) --I'm not stupid, I know how my mother died. It's all your fault...you took her away from me! And I know what's going to happen to me! WINSLOW (V.O.) No! LaCroix slams his eyes shut, along with his ears. On LaCroix, we, CUT TO FLASHBACK: INT. ROMAN DWELLING NIGHT 50 A.D. Aurelius and Diana are in the middle of a fight. By the slight slur, it is clear that Aurelius has consumed a lot of wine. Lucius stands out of sight, but is watching them. AURELIUS I will not have you telling me how to raise my son. DIANA He is still only a boy, Aurelius. AURELIUS A boy? He is 16 years old, and should already be in the army. I shall be the laughing stock of the Senate if he does not enter soon. DIANA He doesn't want to be a soldier... AURELIUS Yes, I know. He wants to be some sort of artist who creates structures. I can just imagine what the other Senators would say about *that* if they caught wind of it. DIANA This is not about you, Aurelius, it is about our son. I don't give a damn what your old Senators say-- AURELIUS --Silence, woman.... In his anger, Aurelius grabs a nearby vase, and smashes it violently on Diana's head. ANGLE LUCIUS; shock, fear. Diana goes down, her head bleeding profusely. Aurelius, in his drunken stupor, isn't sure what to do. Diana's eyelids flutter. She looks up at Aurelius. DIANA (whispers) How could you? Aurelius decides it will be better to finish the job and make up a story later. He pulls a knife from the table and stabs her with it. As he pulls back from her, he sees the blood on his own hands, and begins to shake. >From the shadows, with a violent scream, Lucius lunges for his Father, a knife already in the youth's hand. He plunges the knife deeply into his Father's chest. Aurelius, surprised, looks at his son. AURELIUS What have you done? LUCIUS (coldly) I've become the killer you wanted me to be. Aurelius falls across Diana's body. Lucius quickly arranges the scene so that it looks as though they killed each other. He removes his father's silver bracelet and puts it on his own wrist. It's large and moves up his arm. On this, we, CUT BACK TO PRESENT: INT. BEACH HOUSE NIGHT LaCroix shakes his head clear of the memories. We FOLLOW him as he exits the house and goes out onto, end part 10 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/ Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 12:15:42 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: The Sandpiper 12/12 To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu Status: U EXT. BEACH CONTINUOUS LaCroix looks down the beach; Tommy Winslow is working on his sand castle. Instead of heading toward the boy, LaCroix walks toward Winslow's rented Beach house. He enters the vampiric way, and we FOLLOW him into, INT. WINSLOW'S BEACH HOUSE CONTINUOUS LaCroix catches Winslow off guard. WINSLOW Who the hell are you? LACROIX Justice come to call upon you. WINSLOW What? LACROIX You've harmed the boy enough. First you eliminate his mother to better control him, and now you abuse the boy by crushing his dreams. I'll not have it.... WINSLOW You don't know what you're talking about. Get out of here-- Too late, LaCroix has vamped out. He grabs Winslow and in one quick motion, sinks his fangs into the man's neck, finishing him in seconds. He lets the body slump to the floor. Wiping his chin, LaCroix sees a picture of a woman with Tommy. He picks it up and looks at it, assuming that it must be Tommy's mother. LaCroix sets it back down. LaCroix exits, and we FOLLOW him onto, EXT. BEACH CONTINUOUS LaCroix walks over to where Tommy is building a sand castle. Tommy looks up at the Ancient vampire, blissfully unaware of anything being wrong, and he smiles. LaCroix smiles back. TOMMY You gonna help me? LACROIX If that is what you wish. TOMMY Yes, please. LaCroix sinks to his knees in the sand and helps the boy. Tommy smiles at him. TOMMY (CONT) I thought you said you'd never done this before. LACROIX Well, I forgot, I did. A very long time ago, when I was just a little older than you are. TOMMY I wanna be an architect when I grow up. ANGLE LACROIX; yes indeed. LACROIX Really? TOMMY Yes... Some of the exuberance in the pale face fades, and the boy coughs. LaCroix frowns. LACROIX Why do you look sad? TOMMY My Father doesn't like it when I talk about the future. LACROIX Well, sometimes fathers have different ideas about what their sons should grow up to be. TOMMY Are you a father? LaCroix stops for a moment and thinks, takes a deep breath, then looks the boy right in the eyes. LACROIX Yes. One son, two daughters... Well, only one daughter now. TOMMY Does it hurt to lose one of them? LaCroix' eyes flash anger and he snaps. LACROIX Of course it does. ANGLE TOMMY; whoops.... TOMMY I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. LACROIX (beat, calming) You didn't. It was a long time ago. (frowns) Why do you ask that? TOMMY I don't wanna hurt my Dad when I die. LACROIX What makes you think you're going to die? TOMMY My father thinks I don't understand, but I do. I've overheard them all talking. I'm sick, just like my mom was. LACROIX (uh-oh) Your mother was sick? TOMMY Yeah, she died a few years ago. She was sick when she had me, and I was born sick... AIDS, I think is what it's called. LACROIX (oh, shit) Why did you say it was your father's fault? TOMMY He couldn't save her. I shouldn't have said that. How did you know I said it? LACROIX I'm afraid I was eavesdropping. TOMMY What's eavesdropping? LACROIX Listening in when one should not. (beat) Tommy, is your illness the reason your father doesn't want to talk about the future with you? TOMMY Yeah. It makes him real sad. ANGLE LACROIX; man, oh man, oh man.....big mistake. Huge. LaCroix closes his eyes for a moment. In his own agitated state, he managed to completely misconstrue what was going on, and now the child, whom he actually empathized with, is not only dying, he's an orphan. He let his own anger and hurt cloud his judgment. LaCroix lets out a slow breath of air. Not much left for him to do. Bringing the child across is out of the question; vampiric children have never been successful as far as LaCroix is concerned. LaCroix' face shows some of the strain. His icy blue eyes look sad. Tommy looks into them with the clarity of a child and easily sees the sorrow in their depths. TOMMY (CONT) Why do you look so sad, Mr. L? LACROIX Because, Master Thomas, even when I make a feeble attempt at benevolence, I am never able to be anything more than my Father trained me to be. TOMMY What's that? LACROIX A killer. LaCroix eyes change to gold and he looks at Tommy, who does not back away. We hear a HEARTBEAT as LaCroix zooms in on the boy's artery. LACROIX (CONT) Don't be afraid. I will be very gentle. You will just feel as though you're falling asleep. LaCroix holds his arms out to the boy, who, to the vampire's surprise, grabs the Ancient around the neck, in an embrace. TOMMY I'm not afraid, Mr. L. ANGLE LACROIX; his golden eyes are moist. He pulls the young child closer to him. His voice is marked with emotion as he speaks. LACROIX And why is that? TOMMY Because I've been dying since I was born, and... because I miss my mommy. Will I get to see her now? ANGLE LACROIX; tough question. He doesn't believe in that afterlife crap, but..... LACROIX I'm sure you'll see her, Master Thomas. TOMMY Will you send a Sandpiper to carry my soul to heaven? LACROIX (tense) Of course. LaCroix very tenderly pulls Tommy's head into position, and with a last look into the child's eyes, the vampire very gently eases his fangs into the boy's neck. So careful is he, the boy does not cry out. After a moment or two, the child is dead, his arms still around LaCroix' neck. LaCroix tightens his grip around the child, trying in vain to stop the pain of what he has just done. But he can't. LaCroix just rocks the body of the child as a few silent tears escape his now blue eyes. The Ancient swallows hard, and then carefully sets the body down on the sand. LaCroix removes the ancient silver bracelet from his own arm, and places it on Tommy's. A Sandpiper suddenly lands next to the child's body. LaCroix stares at it, and then the bird is gone. He picks up the child's body, and heads toward the water. Off this, we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN NIGHT Janette and Nick are standing at the bar, talking to MAURICE, when LaCroix enters. He says nothing to any of them as he walks by, on his way to the soundbooth. Janette and Nick exchange a look, and irritated, they FOLLOW LaCroix into, INT. SOUNDBOOTH CONTINUOUS LaCroix ignores the presence of his children, and goes about his business, preparing his show. The heavy silence lies in the room like a wet blanket. Finally; JANETTE Where have you been? LaCroix merely glares at her, then goes back to what he's doing. The Ancient is trying desperately to shut down. To simply turn his inner turmoil off, like a light switch. His children can feel that something has absolutely rocked LaCroix' world; his very existence. KNIGHT (urgent) LaCroix....what has happened? LACROIX Don't take that tone with me, Nicholas. KNIGHT Tone? LACROIX Nevermind. JANETTE Are you all right? LACROIX Of course. Janette and Nick exchange a look; no, he's not. Not even close. Nick gently lays a hand on LaCroix' arm. KNIGHT We're both worried. LACROIX There is no reason to be. Now if the two of you will excuse me, I do have a show to air.... Realizing there is nothing more they can do, Janette and Nick reluctantly retreat, but only to the hallway. LaCroix closes the door on them, but we can see them through the window, watching him closely. LaCroix sits down and pulls the mic close to his mouth. LACROIX I have never been a subscriber to the notion that such a thing as an afterlife exists. I have always believed that when you die, you die. That's it, there is nothing more. (beat) But what if there is such a thing as heaven and hell, mes amis? Which side of the line will each of you fall to? ANGLE JANETTE and NICK; What has happened to him? LACROIX (CONT) (smiles) One must decide for oneself, mustn't one? For some of us, there will be no Sandpiper waiting to carry our blackened souls to heaven. For some of us, the real hell is an eternal existence, living with the knowledge of what we have done; the pain we have caused. (beat) How many of us have the purity of heart to warrant a Sandpiper? How many posses the courage to even ask the question? LaCroix flips a switch at his console, and the 'on air' light extinguishes. Janette and Nick reenter the booth, and they hold a long look with LaCroix. Neither has any idea why he looks like hell has made a home inside of his head, but they both intend to find out. Janette leans into LaCroix, and kisses his forehead. Nick runs a soothing hand on the back of his father's head. For the moment, LaCroix has no more fight left in him, and both his children can sense it. He needs them to take care of him; whatever he's been through, it will take some time for him to recover. He simply allows his two children to lift him out of his chair, and with their arms around him, they guide him out of the booth. Janette flips the light switch and Nick slams the door shut on their way out. The room is dark and silent, save for the small blinking lights coming from the phone lines, which are flashing like crazy. On the now empty chair behind the console, we, FADE TO BLACK: THE END end part 12 vampwrtr@innocent.com http://members.aol.com/vampwrtr/forever_lacroix/